Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Thursday, November 10. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 8 p.m.): While we aren’t covering Grey’s Anatomy in-depth this season, Gwen Ihnat has been keeping up with the show in weekly discussion posts. But even if she weren’t, we’re pretty sure we’d be contractually obligated as pop-culture lovers to tell you that tonight’s episode of Grey’s is named after a Hamilton song. Is that a good enough reason to recommend “The Room Where It Happens”? Probably not, but the pull of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s masterwork is just too strong to resist. We’re only human! And so are the doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, who find themselves in a tense operating-room power struggle. If only they had Leslie Odom Jr.’s dulcet tones to soothe them.
Better Things (FX, 10 p.m.): And just like that, it’s time for the Better Things first-season finale. Continuing the show’s cryptic style of episode descriptions, the plot synopsis for “Only Women Bleed” reads, “Sam has a tough day.” And while Molly Eichel only wants good things to happen to the phenomenally talented Pamela Adlon, Better Things is often at its best when Sam is at her worst. So here’s hoping the finale is a solid capper to an all-around strong season. Really, as long as the show offers up a few more standout Duke moments, Molly will be a happy camper.
How To Get Away With Murder (ABC, 10 p.m.): We’re only one episode away from the How To Get Away With Murder fall finale, which means the show is ramping up the drama this week. Annalise finally faces off with Frank, the man responsible for killing her unborn baby in a car crash. Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya has found this season to be a roller-coaster ride in terms of quality, which means we should be in for a shitty episode this week and a strong one next week. But hey, given that HTGAWM loves a twist, maybe they’ll both be great. Or maybe they’ll both be shitty. There’s only one way to find out!
Premieres and finales
Superstore (NBC, 8 p.m.): It’s fall finale night on NBC! First up, Superstore has a super-size offering for its final episodes of the year. Cloud 9 gets some unruly seasonal employees (including Amy’s husband) in “Seasonal Help.” Then the store goes to hell in a handbag during “Black Friday” when the staff comes down with food poisoning on the busiest day of the year. Plus Amy grapples with some potentially life-changing news, which should give nationally named national treasure America Ferrera a chance to shine.
Chicago Med (NBC, 9 p.m.): Next up, Chicago Med offers a sticky moral dilemma. An HIV-positive man wants to donate a kidney to his severely ill brother, who doesn’t know about his HIV status. So the doctors have to decide whether to infect a patient with HIV in order to save his life. Needless to say, we have a lot of questions. Especially about the fact that the episode’s promo claims the transplant recipient will “live with a death sentence” if he gets the kidney. Is that really how we talk about HIV in 2016? Hopefully Chicago P.D.’s Sophia Bush—who guest-stars tonight—will be able to provide a more enlightened perspective.
The Blacklist (NBC, 10 p.m.): And, finally, NBC rounds out its night of fall finales with The Blacklist. Tonight’s episode is the second half of a two-parter, and it promises to finally answer the question audiences have been asking for the past four seasons: Is Red actually Liz’s father?!? If this all results in James Spader getting to do a Darth Vader impression as he reveals Liz’s parentage, the wait will have been worth it.
Regular Coverage
Legends Of Tomorrow (The CW, 8 p.m.)
Pitch (Fox, 9 p.m.)
Streaming pick
Smash, “The Bells & Whistles” (NBC.com): We can’t mention Leslie Odom Jr. and not remind everyone that he once starred in the seminal musical theater TV show Smash. He pops up throughout the series, but his standout moment comes in this second-season episode when he performs the Nat King Cole-inspired song “(Let’s Start) Tomorrow Tonight.” And for those who don’t want to sit through the entire episode just for Odom Jr. (which, fair), here’s the performance itself: